Mumbai: Maharashtra government has made mandatory digital locks with real-time GPS tracking for all liquor-spirit transport vehicles, covering intra-state, interstate, and port movements, from June 1, to prevent theft and duty evasion. With electronic sealing and real-time tracking, officials expect sharper surveillance, reduced leakages, and a decisive shift from manual to tech-driven excise enforcement.Following the example of states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar, Maharashtra had introduced the scheme last May on a pilot basis. The decision came against the backdrop of recent bootlegging incidents where those working with transporters and dealers indulged in mixing spurious liquor and water in the original bottles and selling them outside, thus posing a threat to the health of patrons and leading to revenue losses for the government.A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday expanded the rule to tankers carrying molasses and rectified spirit from distilleries within the state, as well as interstate and import-export consignments. Officials said these tamper-proof locks will track the vehicle in real-time, the person who opened the lock, and the amount of stock delivered en route to each dealer and retailer after leaving the factory premises with the factory stock. The system will be integrated with the supply chain management and computer networks devised by the state excise’s command control centre. The supplier companies have to comply with the conditions.The GR stated that vehicles and tankers transporting molasses, rectified spirit, and liquor coming from outside the state and passing through Maharashtra to another state were covered, including vehicles that carried such materials and were issued a Through Transport Pass at the state border at the time of entry and exit. It also included vehicles transporting imported foreign liquor from customs bond warehouses and tankers and vehicles transporting denatured spirit, excluding ethanol, from distilleries to final destinations within the state, outside the state, or to ports in India for export.
